As a parent of a deployed Iraqi Freedom soldier, this blog is dedicated to ousting
Congressman John Murtha from Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.
Like Benedict Arnold, who was a soldier during the revolutionary war,
Congressman Murtha is a traitor, giving aid and comfort to the enemy through his
irresponsible, shameless rhetoric.He no longer deserves the title of U.S. Marine.
IT IS TIME TO GET JOHN MURTHA OUT OF OFFICE

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Democrats in House make the right move

The Issue: Rep. John P. Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, loses his bid to become House majority leader.

Our Opinion: With his less than sterling ethics reputation, it’s just as well.

There was nothing wrong with lauding Rep. John P. Murtha, a retired Marine and Vietnam War veteran, for standing up to President Bush for his poor management of the war in Iraq. Murtha was giving a voice to the frustrations of many.

But as for his unsuccessful candidacy for post of House majority leader, it’s just as well that Murtha, an unindicted co-conspirator in the infamous Abscam scandal, was rejected soundly by his fellow Democrats.

Only a week earlier, in the wake of the takeover of House and the Senate by Democrats, Rep. Nancy J. Pelosi, the House speaker-elect, said one of her first orders of business would be an ethics overhaul of the House.

Exit polls revealed that a top concern of most voters was the culture of corruption that has permeated Washington in recent years.

Given Pelosi’s promise of an ethical housecleaning, her support of Murtha for majority leader had many people puzzled.

Well, let's just say that we at MMG were (and remain) a bit puzzled as well, given the PA dead tree media's overwhelming support of the "ethically-challenged" Murtha during this last re-election bid. If Murtha's ethics (or lack thereof) should have precluded him from the House Majority leader, why wouldn't the same consideration have precluded him from earning another term in representing the interests of PA-12?

Friday, November 24, 2006

WASHINGTON - Darryl Sharratt often breaks into tears when trying to start sentences that include the word ``Al-Hadithah.'' A stoic Pennsylvania foreman, he struggles with painful concepts such as betrayal and helplessness. His wife, Theresa, puts her hand on his shoulder and tries to talk through the anguish.

``I love my son. He's my hero,'' Theresa Sharratt says calmly. ``He's not what they're portraying him as. I can't believe that this is happening to us. To him.''

Their son is Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, a 22-year-old Marine who had dreamed his entire life of joining the military. Now the Sharratts are fighting to preserve his reputation, as he is one of a handful of Marines who are being investigated over the slayings of two dozen Iraqi civilians Nov. 19, 2005.

The Sharratts have remained silent until now because they did not know what to say. They have avoided learning details of their son's possible involvement in the shootings while they have struggled to understand what might have happened in a war zone thousands of miles away. They have privately fumed about politicians -- such as Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa. -- who have publicly stated that their son was part of a brutal, vengeful slaughter. They are livid that no one in the Marine Corps has stepped forward to defend their son.

``He's very confident he did nothing wrong, and we believe him,'' Theresa Sharratt said in a recent interview in the family home in Canonsburg, Pa. Her husband wiped his eyes and added: ``He felt he was doing his job. And, now, the Marine Corps has betrayed these guys. All of them.''

The incident in Al-Hadithah was not widely known until the past spring, when Time magazine wrote an account of the civilian deaths in a small group of homes in the insurgent hotbed. Early reports alleged that Marines with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, snapped after a member of their unit was killed by a roadside bomb, sending them on a rampage through nearby homes. There also were allegations of a coverup.

Attorneys for the Marines -- including Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, the most senior non-commissioned officer at the scene of the shootings -- have said repeatedly that their clients followed the appropriate rules of engagement and killed the civilians as they were hunting insurgents responsible for the roadside bombing and for a volley of shots from what the Marines believed were AK-47 assault rifles.

``They responded the way they were trained,'' said Jack Zimmerman, an attorney for Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 25, who officials think was one of the Marines who fired shots.

But never let a simple issue like "presumption of innocence" get in the way of a heretofore obscure dinosaur of a politician's ambitions. Murtha proclaimed Sharatt, Wuterich, and other Marines in their outfit guilty of a "crime" before any formal investigation had take place; before any charges were filed (they have yet to be filed); even before he had read any reports on the matter. Murtha's unfounded public pronouncement of guilt led the Haditha Marines to be found guilty in the court of public and world opinion, as well.

Ironic, isn't it, that soldiers fighting to defend a Constitution that, among other things, holds the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, were themselves denied that very presumption by a blowhard ignoramus of a politician who pulled out all the stops in his attempts to court favor with antiwar democrats who otherwise wouldn't have given him the time of day.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Noel Sheppard at Newsbusters reports that Howard Kurtz and other MSM figures have admitted that they kept Murtha's misdeeds largely under wraps before the elections:

As NewsBuster Tim Graham reported Sunday, the media were quite late in bringing up Congressman Jack Murtha’s (D-Pennsylvania) ethics issues, as well as his connection to Abscam in the late ’70s. Instead, such matters waited to come to the front pages until after the Democrats safely regained control of Congress. Quite surprisingly, CNN’s “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz (who also writes for the Washington Post) completely agreed that the media dropped the ball on this issue, and grilled his guests about this on Sunday’s program. This segment began:

Since calling for a U.S. pullout from Iraq one year ago, Democratic Congressman Jack Murtha has drawn all kinds of media coverage for his stance. But after the election, when incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed the ex-Marine for next Majority Leader, stories suddenly popped up about Murtha’s relationship with lobbyists, and whether he had helped a company that hired his brother as a lobbyist. And suddenly, television was replaying a 26-year-old videotape from the Abscam scandal in which Murtha was offered a bribe by FBI informants posing as Arab sheiks.

Kurtz then asked the Chicago Tribune’s Clarence Page:

Clarence Page, there was a big LA Times expose last year about Jack Murtha doing favors for companies that contributed to his campaign and that sort of thing. It got almost no national pickup until after the midterm elections. Why?

Page amazingly responded:

I think after the midterm elections, suddenly Jack Murtha became a political candidate. An internal election in Congress, but nevertheless, a candidate. Before that, he was a spokesperson and advocate for a strategic point of view with regard to Iraq. When you become a candidate, suddenly now you’ve got political enemies. And that means people start digging up stuff on you, and suddenly things that weren’t relevant before like the old Abscam scandal suddenly become very relevant.

The media's agenda, grossly transparent in deciding what to print or not to print to push their candidates of choice is nothing new. But the blatant acknowledgement of such from media sources who have, in the past, built their reputations on so-called "unbiased reporting" is certainly something to behold.

Jack Murtha received a gift from the MSM. If the people of Pennsylvania's 12th CD really knew what a corrupt politician that Murtha is, he would be sitting on a rocking chair on his front porch in Johnstown, and a much more deserving candidate would have taken his place.

Now, having outlived his "useful idiot" status by the Code Pinks, Moveon.orgs and Kos Kids, and after riding on the wave that swept his party brethren to power on November 7th, Jack Murtha has been swept aside like so much flotsam and jetsam, and has once again been relegated to persona non grata status in the democrat power structure.

Being the senile old bastard that he is, Murtha played the leftist game and sold his soul to the devil in his "big gamble." For a long while, Jack appeared to really enjoy his "toast of the town" status; and probably even thought that he was actually respected among the moonbat left and willing media shills for his "outspokenness." All the while, of course, Murtha was being played for a patsy; a pawn in his party's quest for power.

On another note, for the past seven months, we have chronicled every Murtha mis-step, past and present, which had heretofore gone largely ignored by the MSM. It finally took a Murtha election victory and the very real chance that the old coot may actually end up as majority leader before the MSM had their "come to Jesus" Murtha moment and started exposing him for who he really is.

I guess in that sense, our efforts here have proven fruitful.

In an ironic turn of events, Jack Murtha threw Marines under the bus for political gain; and now he himself knows what it feels like to be on the receiving end.

Having outlived his usefulness, it is likely that you'll be hearing a lot less from Jihad Jack in the coming months. But rest assured, the next time Murtha opens his seditious piehole, we'll be here to chronicle it.

Although they effectively used that catchphrase in the last election to their advantage, it won't be too long before the average Jane and Joe realize they've been hoodwinked into thinking this party will bring ethics to the forefront. Suckers.

And, as the next two years ramble on the people of this country that have been asleep and voted for change will finally have to focus on the Dem's filthy laundry which is in no short supply mind you.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

As I suspected, it was a bit of a stretch to think that the far-left base of the democrat leadership would go with Murtha, who had a "reputation" as a hawk, and also had a reputation as a pro-life democrat.

Funny isn't it, how there was all of a sudden a flurry of activity in the "unbiased" MSM, finally reporting what we've been reporting on Murtha Must Go!! for the past seven months, but waiting until after the election to do it. Funny also is the fact that any attempt to criticize Murtha was immediately met with a "swiftboating!" charge by the left; but again, after Murtha outlived his usefulness, the rallying cry on the left was a resounding "Full swiftboat ahead!"

It appears that Murtha has resigned himself to the realization that it would be back to his political roots:

"I didn't have enough votes and so I'll go back to my small subcommittee I have on Appropriations," Murtha said after the vote.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Dear Rusty,I know you probably get a lot of messages asking you to read stuff on your show, but I BEG you to read this...... I would like you to tell America exactly what they did to their soldiers on Tuesday, and what WE think about our countrymen right now.

"I hope you are satisfied with what you have done...

Today in the mess hall, where there is usually jovial conversation, there was silence, long faces, and broken spirits... Everyone, to include all American soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, Iraqi Nationals, Bulgarian Soldiers, etc, etc... was speechless, tired, demoralized and stunned.... all ate in erie silence.....

Last night, while we watched the press conference with the President, there was utter discust, and the common feeling amongst us all that we soldiers are now the loneliest people on Earth.... we fight an enemy over here, and we have a country full of enemies to go home to that are our countrymen. We watched President Bush say his own political funeral, our commander and chief.. as well as ours..... He tried so hard to spin it, but... well.. there is no way to soften such a morale blow.

While you sit and Monday morning quarterback what we work so hard to do for you out here, just know that the spirit of your team is wounded..... YOU liberals, you America have done a great job of demoralizing us... Thank you.

Do us a favor though, when we do come home, spare us the ceremony....... We all now know that it is a bunch of crap, and what you think of us.......

I have to say that right now, I would rather be a pussy ass Frenchman, even though they have no will to fight, at least they have the balls to make a decision and stick with it...... They stuck to thier guns about staying out of this war, even if it was the wrong decision......America on the other hand, goes off half cocked, and when the decision appears to be a hard one, or something that might cost a little bit, they turn tail and run.....

WHAT A NATION OF PUSSIES!!!!

This week I am NOT proud to say that I am an American..........I think it is obvious why... See, we just have told the world that we are not a nation of people who are tough, and will fight for what we believe in... We have told the world that we are a giant coward that will shy away from any difficult challenge...

So, while you eat your cheetos, and sit there and watch your lazy ass get fatter, dumber and happier Joe Citizen.. Just remember this, I, and all my commrades payed a dear price to come this far and have you decide that we should fail...

Realize this, because of your action this week America.... do not expect so many men to be so willing to stand up for your next little whim just to be cut down in the middle of it all............

Realize this also.. you have just put a heavy price on the heads of us all...... Now that we are branded as cowards, we are an easy target, oh so inviting for the taking....... I swore to protect your children in your beds.... yet you fling the door wide open inspite of me to invite the scourge.... Well.... have it your way then.

Because of this, September 11th will soon be overshadowed by these same enemies.. my advice to you is get your lazy, self centered ass up and make peace with your God, and your family.. cause, time will come when they may not be there for you................Because you kicked me in the teeth, and so many others, I know I won't any more.. "

Aaron.

As heard on the Rusty Humphries Show

As a parent of one of these brave soldiers, I have some questions for Murtha, Pelosi, and all you libs out there--was all the defeatist rhetoric worth it? Was it worth throwing our soldiers and their mission under the bus as a cheap shortcut in your quest for political power? Was it worth it, undermining our war effort, and making very real the possibility if not outright certainty of rendering their many sacrifices moot?

I have said all along that liberals have no abiltiy to link, nor to think before they speak. Nor do they have any shame in how their words affect others, or even if their nation loses a war as a result of their win-at-all-costs propaganda machine.

The ethics package was the only occasion in which more than a tiny handful of Republicans bucked their leaders and voted for the Democratic alternative--20 of them did so in this case, providing an opening for a real reform to pass the House. Except that four Democrats voted against their own party, killing ethics and lobbying reform all by themselves. Among them: John Murtha. Why? We recently learned from the New York Times that Murtha traded away lobbying and ethics reform in return for earmarks from the Republican leaders.

Murtha is a skilled and experienced legislator, a war hero and an articulate and passionate opponent of the Bush administration policy toward Iraq. He also is deeply ethically challenged. Electing him as Majority Leader is no way to start out the most ethical Congress in history. (emphases added)

Trying to hold onto the reins of a majority that was elected in part based on the promise of an ethically pure administration, Nancy Pelosi is dead set on ruling with an iron fist in order to get Jack Murtha, a congressman pegged as one of the 25 most corrupt legislators, the number two seat in the House of Representatives. According to the Hill, such actions by an upcoming Speaker are unprecedented, and are already starting to tear apart the upcoming democrat majority, even before their oaths of office have been taken:

She will ensure that they [the Murtha camp] wins. This is hardball politics We are entering an era where when the Speaker instructs you what to do, you do it, he (Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) said. Yes, shes making calls to people. She is contacting people and letting them know that its an unequivocal letter.

Hoyers camp was aware of the calls, said one lawmaker supporting the Democratic whip.

Shes making calls, so dont be shocked, the lawmaker said.

Another House Democrat supporting Hoyer was incensed that Pelosi was exerting her influence in the caucus, asserting that it will further divide House Democrats.

Its an incredible display of hubris, the member said, using a phrase Pelosi herself sometimes employs. Its incredibly egotistical. We all got us here. We all got us to the promised land and Stenys not going to the promised land?

The member said regardless of who ultimately wins the Thursday election, the effect of Pelosi actively getting involved in the race would reverberate for some time.

Either way, its damaging, the member said. She will have a tremendous road to hoe to repair the damage shes done.

I will have to admit. It is fun seeing democrats eat their own. It will also be quite instructive as to the hypocrisy of Pelosi and the democrat majority should the blatantly corrupt Murtha actually end up as Majority Leader.

Or the past twenty years for that matter. If Jack Murtha would have received this much scrutiny by the MSM and his adoring followers leading into this past election, Diana Irey would be representing Pennsylvania in congress instead of the filthy leader their stuck with now.

We here at Murtha Must Go smelled the stink all the way back in May, and the archives of this blog will attest to that assertion. Anything and everything you are reading about ABSCAM, his ties to corruption, his treasonous remarks made towards the fine soldiers of this country, it's all here.

Judging by the plethora of Murtha material available to read this week you would think the MSM has just uncovered something new, when in fact they've been asleep at the wheel all summer defending this man and his "proud and brave stance" towards the Iraq war, like Arriana Huffington last week with this love letter penned to Murtha after the election for instance calling him the man of the year.

Well, the man of the year accolades lasted about 15 minutes as the media is now dissecting Jack like vultures on the carcass of a dead wolf in the desert. And like I said in the headline, where were these idiots for the past 5 months?

Like this lady from NBC's vaunted Investigative Unit, you know her, Lisa Myers. Where was she and her unit when Jack was calling our soldiers cold blooded murderers in the spring and for the rest of the summer as his fat ass paraded around the country being treated like the second coming of Eisenhower?

Shamelessly quiet, thus enabling this crook to now be re-elected when he should have been sent packing as we here at MMG have been demanding for 5 long months and will be doing until he's gone or rendered powerless and irrelevant due to his well known but overlooked shady and slime filled past.

"WASHINGTON - In Rep. Nancy Pelosi's first interview after Democrats won control of the House, talking with NBC's Brian Williams on Nov. 8, she made a sweeping promise.

'To turn this Congress into the most honest and open Congress in history,' she said. 'That is my pledge. That is what I intend to do.'

But some Democrats and ethics experts say that promise was undercut when Pelosi endorsed John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran with a checkered ethical record, for the No. 2 leadership position in the House."

"Rep. Murtha has basically been on the wrong side of public integrity issues during his career," says Fred Wertheimer, president of watchdog group Democracy 21.

Critics claim Murtha has amassed power in part by handing out taxpayer money to special interests, including to clients of defense lobbyists who give him big campaign contributions.

Yes indeed, the 13 seconds of video you would have seen here 5 months ago, or the full 53 minutes now available due to the fine work of the American Spectator reported by us here, and here. If you haven't seen it, it's in the sidebar along with the transcript. Too little too late I'm afraid, but maybe not.

WASHINGTON — The race to be the No. 2 House Democratic leader turned nasty Tuesday, with challenger Rep. John Murtha accusing opponents of "swift-boat style attacks" that hark back to his days being investigated in the FBI's 1980 Abscam sting.

Murtha won endorsement Monday from Nancy Pelosi, who is widely expected to be the House speaker. But Murtha is opposed by some liberals who say they are not happy with the Pennsylvania lawmaker's pro-gun and anti-abortion record. Others say Pelosi took a wrong turn in backing Murtha over her current deputy Rep. Steny Hoyer because Murtha's record is marred by ethics questions of the type Pelosi pledged to clean up in Congress.

You see, dear reader, to any good democrat, the term "swiftboating" has come to mean any public exposure to the truth. And in Jack Murtha's case, simply put, the truth hurts.

"I am disconcerted that some are making headlines by resorting to unfounded allegations that occurred 26 years ago. I thought we were above this type of swift-boating attack. This is not how we restore integrity and civility to the United States Congress," Murtha said of the ample press coverage of his link to Abscam and more recent negotiations he made as ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Committee.

The thing about it is, the allegations that Jack Murtha was looking for a way to take a $50,000 bribe some 26 years ago are not unfounded. On a permanent place in our sidebar is the link to the entire ABSCAM video--all 53 minutes of it. In it, Murtha consistently alludes that he doesn't want to get caught taking the money, but he continually leaves the door open that under the right circumstances, he would be all too willing to line his big fat backside with Arabian-generated greenbacks. Murtha can deny it all he wants, but in this case, videotape speaks louder than desperate backpedalling.

You know, even though we're bummed that Murtha won another term, it's almost sweet justice to see him squirm as he is devoured by his fellow party members, like a wounded beluga whale caught in a shark tank.

Rep. Jack Murtha does not have a lock on becoming House majority leader in the 110th Congress by any means. But he sure does have an important key to securing that position in advance of Thursday's closed-door leadership elections.

Mr. Murtha, the veteran 12th District congressman of Johnstown, called in a critical chit last week: The man who engineered Nancy Pelosi's rise to minority whip for the Democrats asked the speaker in waiting to back him over current party No. 2 Steny Hoyer of Maryland.

On Sunday, Mrs. Pelosi delivered -- a glowing endorsement of Murtha and, between the lines, a silent but powerful rebuke of Hoyer, whom she defeated for minority whip in 2001.

Get out your barf bags, and read on to see why the Trib wants Murtha to have such power:

No other member of Congress in the modern age has seen to the needs of our troops more. At the same time, Murtha never has been shy of speaking his mind. And despite heavy early criticism, Murtha showed great courage in calling for this country to rethink Iraq; his view now is the view of a majority of Americans.

Here's what this paragraph should really say, interpreted MMG-style. First sentence: "Murtha has done more to tarnish the reputation of our troops and put them in harm's way than even the average Moonbat." Second sentence: "Murtha is an idiot and won't shut up." Third sentence: "The left-wing propaganda machine is working by using Murtha as its mouthpiece." Buffoon.

But the role of majority leader involves far more than the military and the war. Murtha would be responsible for the overall legislative agenda; he'd be the gatekeeper for scheduling legislation on the House floor. And as Pelosi notes, Murtha has the "mastery of the facts and the policy" needed to run the operation.

Think about that: Jack Murtha is basically going to be running the Congress of the United States. This goes against everything we've been fighting for these past few months. He should be retired, sent home, dishonorably discharged from Congress...instead, he's more powerful than ever. The next couple of years are going to be a bitch.

If Democrats are smart, and truly want to show the American people that they can put internal party politics aside for the benefit of the nation, they'll line up behind Jack Murtha.

"Smart", of course, means "smart enough to follow the dictates of this editorial writer". The best way to benefit the nation by lining up behind Murtha is to boot the bastard.

When U.S. Rep. John Murtha lobbied for the House majority leader position back in June in anticipation of a Democratic victory in November, the Post-Gazette said his ambition was " foolishly premature" and that it should "wait until the battle is done." As it turned out, the Johnstown Democrat gave up his leadership quest until after the elections.

Because anyone who dares act without permission of the Imperial media is a headstrong fool, if not outright evil. The sheer arrogance of the media, whether it's the PG, the Strib, or whoever, never fails to outrage.

Now that the battle is done and won, with Democrats controlling both the House and Senate, Mr. Murtha is back seeking to become the second-most important officeholder in the House after the speaker, who will be Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California. There's nothing foolish about Mr. Murtha's ambition now; it is timely and wise.

It's like a game of "Simon Says" with these editorialists, who fancy themselves in the role of "Simon". "Simon didn't say 'Run for majority leader', Mister Murtha! Simon says go back and finish your race for Congress!" Now Simon says it's okay, and the ass is transformed into a sage.

Far from being a sure bet for the post, which will be decided in a secret vote in Washington on Thursday, Mr. Murtha is seen as the underdog. That's because Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland has filled the No. 2 post for the Democrats for the last four years. He has the support of some senior Democratic congressmen as well as more than half of the incoming freshman class.

Underdog? He reminds me more of Simon Bar Sinister, continually plotting the death and destruction of the good guys.

But Ms. Pelosi has written a letter of support for Mr. Murtha, one of her close allies. More than friendship, however, recommends Mr. Murtha as the one who should be chosen -- and Ms. Pelosi alluded to this in her letter.

Noting his opposition to the war in Iraq, she wrote: "Your leadership gave so many Americans, including respected military leaders, the encouragement to voice their own disapproval at a failed policy that weakens our military and makes stability in that region even more difficult to achieve."

Once again, someone is making the suggestion that Murtha is a sort of shadow commander-in-chief. You know what's scary? It looks like there really are a lot of people who look up to Murtha in this manner. I try not to be a cynic, but this does not bode well for the future of our country.

The unfolding disaster in Iraq was one of the principal reasons that Americans decided to rebuke the Bush administration and its faithful followers in Congress. Although Democrats would be wise to give serious consideration to the eventual findings of the Iraq Study Group, headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and ex-congressman Lee Hamilton, the Democratic leaders in the Senate are reported to be determined to push for troop withdrawals in a matter of months.

I'd like to see what the Iraq Study Group comes up with. Will it recommend these anticipated troop withdrawals? Do the Democrats even have a plan for withdrawal? Tell you what -- quitting the war abruptly might make the vaunted "world community" like us again, but those aren't the countries that are trying to kill us. Better to show strength against the terrorists and let the peaceniks hate us, than to make ourselves (AGAIN) look like easily dominated cowards.

Mr. Murtha, of course, has had the courage to be speaking along these lines for almost a year -- and he has been demonized by the right for his trouble. In last week's election, however, the Swift Boat-like attacks were so many pea-shooters bouncing off his sterling reputation as an ex-Marine and decorated Vietnam veteran who is one of the most pro-military figures in Congress. He easily won re-election to a 17th term against Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey.

If you're playing a Murtha drinking game, this paragraph will get you tipsy. "Swift Boat" is worth a chug. "Ex-Marine" and "Decorated veteran" -- take a sip! "Pro-military" allows you to down the whole bottle.

On the positive side, the PG remembers Diana Irey's name. You'd have thought that the media would have swept her under the rug by now. She needs to remain in the public consciousness, in some form or other, over the next couple of years for Round Two.

The American people want change, but it's a fair bet they also want leaders who are credible and responsible. Ms. Pelosi, whom Republicans like to paint as a San Francisco liberal, needs a plain-speaking warrior Democrat like Mr. Murtha at her side. The nation does too.

The papers have been going out the their way this week to portray Murtha as an outright conservative. That's ridiculous. San Fran Nan, on the other han', is a San Francisco liberal. If you wish us to believe that she is something else, PG, why not tell us what that would be? Eh?

And so the Post-Gazette ends its endorsement of John Murtha for House Majority Leader in truly vomitous fashion. Nancy Pelosi needs Murtha, a "warrior Democrat", and so does the nation? Which nation? Iran? Syria? France? Whichever nation it happens to be, it sure as hell isn't any nation that I would want to be a citizen of.

As ChicagoRay stated in this post, and as we have been alluding to time and time again on this blog, Jack Murtha never does anything without there being a self-serving purpose.

Historically speaking, liberals have always had a seething distrust and hatred for anything having to do with the military, especially the U.S. military; except to the extent that they could utilize them for propaganda purposes; whether it be in the form of broadcasting casualties with a megaphone, or using misguided, like-minded military veterans as politcal cover under which they can continue to spout their anti-American diatribes.

They found such a patsy in the name of John Murtha... a heretofore nondescript congressman from rural Pennsylvania who, before a year ago, would never have been seen with any self-respecting liberal. With his history of pro-life votes, along with his other relatively conservative votes in the House (save for this past year), Jack Murtha was a pariah among the kook fringe power base of the democrat party.

But all that changed on November 18, 2005, when Jack Murtha, tired of being a relative nobody on the national politcal scene, finally decided to make a big splash by throwing his former Marine brethren and the rest of the military under the bus as a means to his end. And let's not forget the sweetheart deal that was arranged by Murtha to line the pockets of Pelosi's nephew, Laurence, to cement the compact:

Murtha's role in the culture of corruption also implicates Pelosi herself. Roll Call reported last year that Murtha "reportedly leaned on U.S. Navy officials to sign a contract to transfer the Hunters Point Shipyard to the city of San Francisco." Pelosi's nephew, Laurence Pelosi, was an executive of the company that owned the rights to the land.

And now wouldn't you know it-- Nancy Pelosi, the liberal's liberal-- (and soon to be House Speaker), is endorsing Jack Murtha over Steny Hoyer to be the next Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Jack Murtha has indeed sold his soul to the devil, and in all likelihood is now getting paid in full.

But, as they say, you can't take it with you; and at the age of 72, Murtha will sooner or later need to account to a Higher Power than PA-12 voters.

As everyone knows by now, SanFraNancy Pelosi has endorsed Jack Murtha for the number two spot in the upcoming democrat-controlled congress. Curious that a politician who has promised the most ethically pure Congress ever, has picked Murtha for her go-to guy:

This morning, I called Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, to ask about the potential congressional reforms House Speaker-To-Be Nancy Pelosi is expected to push on Day One. But before we got to that, Sloan teed off on Pelosi for having endorsed Representative Jack Murtha, the hawk turned Iraq war critic, in his fight against Representative Steny Hoyer to be the House Democratic majority leader, the powerful number-two job in the body. "Murtha has lots of ethics issues," Sloan exclaimed. "What the hell is she thinking? Corruption turns out to be a major issue in the campaign, and you endorse the guy with the more ethics problems?"

Sloan was referring to exit polls that noted that 42 percent of voters considered corruption and congressional scandals critical to their voting decisions. And she pointed to her outfit's Beyond DeLay site that lists the "20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress." Murtha was not on that roster, but he garnered one of five "Dishonorable Mentions" (along with Republican Representatives Dennis Hastert, the outgoing speaker, J.D. Hayworth, who was defeated in Arizona last week, and Don Sherwood, who was accused by his mistress of choking her and who also lost his bid for reelection).

CREW's low-down on Murtha charges that he abused his position as the senior member of the defense appropriations subcommittee to steer contracts to military firms represented by his brother, a registered lobbyist. The report also notes that Murtha routinely inserted funding earmarks into defense spending bills for contractors that funded his campaigns and hired a lobbying firm run by a former aide on the defense appropriations subcommittee.

Murtha not only engaged in ethically questionable practices, but actually tried to pass legislation that would make it easier for him and other congresscritters to be un-ethical:

Murtha, according to Sloan, was also instrumental in undermining the House ethics committee. In the late 1990s, he successfully pushed (with other legislators) to change the committee's rules to prevent it from accepting ethics complaints from parties outside Congress. He also pressed Democratic leaders to name Representative Alan Mollohan of West Virginia the senior Democrat of the ethics committee. Mollohan has had his own ethics troubles--which have forced him off the ethics committee--and is a member of CREW's Top (or Bottom) 20. (See here.) "Murtha really doesn't like the ethics committee," says Sloan, speculating this may be due to Murtha's involvement in the Abscam bribery scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s. (The ethics committee chose not to file charges against Murtha, after which the panel's special counsel resigned in protest.) "Murtha seems like a bad choice from our perspective," Sloan said.

Murtha has indeed made a deal with the devil, and is in the process of calling in his "chits." But is there more to this Murtha-Pelosi bed-buddy relationship than meets the eye? As David Corn asserts, Pelosi's stated quest of ushering in a new era of ethics in congressional politics should have led her to choose one amongst her ranks with a lot less ethical baggage than Jack Murtha.

Which leads one to wonder: What has led Nancy Pelosi to make what can only be termed as an "ill-advised" endorsement of Murtha? Of course, the Murtha-Pelosi connection is nothing new, but yet there remains a major disconnect between a flaming liberal like Pelosi being in bed with a conservative (relatively speaking of course) democrat, who up until a year ago was considered persona non-grata in the democrat power structure?

Ten Facts About Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania

.Those "facts", including:

John Murtha was born June 17, 1932, in New Martinsville, W.Va.. He describes his family as "run by strong women." His grandmother wrote for a newspaper, and his mother, a homemaker, was a college graduate.

While in high school, Murtha delivered newspapers and worked at a gas station. After high school, a desire to serve his country prompted him to join the Marines.

In 1955 (while remaining in the Reserves), he started a family, ran a small business (a car wash), and attended the University of Pittsburgh on the GI bill. In 1962, he graduated with a degree in economics and went on to graduate studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

In 1966, Murtha volunteered for Vietnam. For his service in Southeast Asia, he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and two Purple Hearts. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve until 1990.

In 1969, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In 1974, he was elected to Congress by special election (filling a vacancy caused by the death of GOP Rep. John Saylor), becoming the first combat Vietnam veteran to win a House seat. Murtha has been re-elected every two years.

Colleagues report that although seats in the House are not assigned, Murtha has a specific seat. "No one else sits in his seat–that's the kind of respect he commands," explains Rep. Mike Doyle, also from Pennsylvania.

Decorations in Murtha's House office include a golf club President Clinton gave him on his last day in the Oval Office, a painting of Teddy Roosevelt (his favorite president), a model of an assault ship his wife christened, and his great-grandfather's Civil War hat.

Michael Barone in the Almanac of American Politics describes Murtha as "one of those old-time politicians who operate best in secret, holding court in the back corner of the House chamber where he trades gossip and votes to colleagues who crowd around him as if they were kissing his ring."

Of course, there are some other "fun facts" that the U.S. News & Won't Report neglected to include:

Jack Murtha has played judge, jury and executioner to Marines without formal charges being filed, even without so much as reading a report.

Despite Jack Murtha's self-reported frequent visits to Walter Reed Military Hospital, Jack Murtha thought it fitting to say he supports the troops via regular visits to Walter Reed, while accepting an award as "Man of the Year" from Code Pink, a radical socialist antiwar group that regularly protests in front of our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed.

Jack Murtha actively attempted to seek ways that he could accept a $50,o00 bribe without getting caught. Since he turned states evidence, he was able to get away with being named an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the ABSCAM case.

Murtha thought it fitting that he should vote against the Patriot Act, and to say that we should be without the tools necessary that may prevent another 9/11 (showing that he is in fact to the left of the ACLU).

Jack Murtha thought it fitting that he should, in another of his famous "political deals," vote against funding research that would improve prosthetics for wounded soldiers.

Jack Murtha thought it fitting to be against measures that would strengthen the security at our borders, and to vote against stiffer sentences for illegal aliens who have committed felonies.

Oh yes, I neglected to report two other Murtha "fun facts" reported by U.S. News & Won't Report